It's Time
by Woubazoid
Summary: They're both afraid of being hurt again, but someone decides it's time to change that. Slight RumBelle, RushBelle. AU.
1. To Believe

It's Time

Chapter 1: To Believe

One would think that after everything that had happened to him, after everything he'd seen and done and learned, that he would be amenable to the idea that there was a land in which all the inhabitants were the equivalent to his world's fairy tale characters.

One would think, but Dr. Nicholas Rush was a stubborn man- and although he'd been to other planets, discovered and was stranded on an ancient star ship- he still couldn't let himself believe that the young girl they'd rescued and brought aboard the ship was actually a fairy tale character. It just wasn't possible.

But, everyone else believed her. She told them of her land, the Ogre Wars, her deal with Rumplestiltskin - And Rush noticed the longing in her eyes when she said the name - it was the look of someone who'd lost someone they held dear, and Nick knew that feeling all too well.

But, no matter what she said; no matter how many details she gave or how many questions she answered, Nicholas just didn't believe her. _Couldn't _believe her, because fairy tales were stories in which people always got their happy ending, and as far as Rush was concerned, happy endings didn't exist - at least not for him. And apparently not for her either.

As time went on however, he began to get used to her and her tales of a land with magic. Soon he was used to her presence and even began to look forward to working with her. She'd taken to this new world and all its peculiarities with an ease that was almost alarming, and when he asked her about it, she merely shrugged and said something about science here being a lot like magic back home.

She spoke of magic as if it were real.

He started to wonder, but he didn't believe.

* * *  
They began to spend a lot of time together after that. After everyone else had gotten used to the fact that there was now a fairy tale princess on board their ship, they began to leave her alone, and she found herself spending more and more time in Rush's company. It was almost a relief to have someone who didn't care (didn't believe) about who she was, because she was so tired of explaining it to everyone. It was nice to focus on work, to learn and be productive and of use to someone again, and she relished the fact that he found her useful.

Apparently she was one of the few people who had that honor.

She never pressed the issue of her identity with Nick, deciding that if he didn't believe her, then she had nothing to prove. She could be whoever she wanted on this ship. It was true that everyone else knew her as "The fairy tale girl" or "Princess Belle", but to Nick, she was just "Belle" or "Hey you", and it wasn't quite "dearie", but it would do. She wanted to be just Belle, and although she wasn't quite sure who" just Belle" was, she was learning. And she had Nick to help her do it.

When she realized that she was in love with Nick, she wasn't as surprised as she thought she should have been. He reminded her so much of Rumplestiltskin at times, even favored him a little, that it was no wonder she'd been drawn to him. Apparently, she had a type.

She knew she should do the brave thing and let bravery follow, but the last time she'd been brave, things had ended horribly. So she settled for what she had, which was long hours in the console room learning and helping Nick work out algorithms and equations and running experiments and doing research. When they found a solution to a problem, he'd pat her arm, and she'd smile and they would both wish that the other would have the courage to make the first move, but they were both so comfortable with what they had they neither of them were willing to take the risk of trying to happy again. Happiness was overrated.

That was the thought that was running through Nick's head as he tried to focus on his work. He was working on a problem with one of Destiny's systems when Belle approached him and gently placed her hands on his shoulders. "You've been sitting here for twenty-seven hours, Nick," she said gently. "Why don't you go rest, and I'll take over."

Had it come from anyone else, he would have argued, but he knew that despite her gentle tone, it wasn't a request. If he didn't do as she said now, there would be hell to pay, and he was far too exhausted to engage in an argument with her. She was brilliant, this supposed fairy tale girl and he knew better than to ignore an order from her.

Nick went to his room and fell asleep almost instantly, his last thoughts of Belle and how he wished he could be brave and try once more for happiness.

_* * *  
Nick knew he was dreaming, but this felt all too real. He was standing in a large room decorated with all sorts of strange objects. He looked around and past the long table and saw a man dressed extravagantly in leather and silk sitting at a spinning wheel, a bundle of straw in one golden-scaled hand, and a string of gold in the other._

"It's not polite to stare, dearie," the man quipped and Nick jumped slightly.

"Who are you?" Rush asked, and the man at the wheel stood, and bowed dramatically.

"The name's Rumplestiltskin," he stated, rolling the 'r' slightly.

Rumplestiltskin. He knew that name. He knew that name because of -

"Yes, that's right." Rumplestiltskin continued as he walked toward Rush. "I brought you here because of Belle." Nick didn't miss the way he said her name. It was full of despair and regret and hurt.

"This is a dream," Rush countered, unwilling to believe that this was an actual encounter with a magical man in a land full of fairy tale characters.

"It may be a dream, but that doesn't make it any less real." Rumple said firmly and gestured for Rush to follow him to the table. "Now, it took a lot of magic to get you here, dearie, so do me the honor of at least listening to me. I can always

make _you listen, but I'd rather be civil about this." He waved his hand and a tea set appeared on the table. Rumple poured the hot beverage into two cups before handing one to Nick. Rum added several cubes of sugar to his before taking a sip. When he placed the cup down, Nick noticed the cup._

"It's chipped." He whispered in surprise.

"You recognize it." Rumple replied.

Rush shook his head. "Yes. She... mentioned it. I overheard her telling some of the crew stories about..." he looked around disbelievingly, "this place."

Rum leaned back in his chair and looked down at the cup, his eyes haunted. "This cup," he said softly, "Is the only thing I have left of Belle. She's gone. And I cannot get her back."

"You brought me here," Rush countered. "Why can't you do the same for her?"

"Because this is just a dream. You aren't

really_ in my castle. I'm actually focusing extremely hard to keep us both here, and the price will be great."_

"Because all magic comes with a price." Nick said, more to himself than to Rumple.

"I see you have been listening to Belle's stories."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "How did-"

"Mirrors are powerful objects," Rumple explained with a wave of his hand. "In this land, I can talk to others through mirrors, but in your land, since it does not have magic, I can only look. I spent quite a lot of time and energy looking for her, and when I found her, I discover she's on board some strange ship, traveling through the stars, and telling others about us." He smiled sadly. "The first time I saw the two of you together, I knew what would happen."

"What do you have the gift of foresight or something, too?" Nick asked sarcastically, and when Rumple merely raised an eyebrow in response, Nick huffed. "Son of a bitch," he whispered.

"Why didn't you believe her?" Rum asked softly. "Everyone else did."

"Because she's talking about fairy tales," Nick said. "And in my world, fairy tales means happy endings. I've had my happy ending stripped from me - twice now- and somehow the two of you got separated, so it seems to me that there is no point in believing in something that only brings more heartache. I've had enough of that."

"She never told you why we were separated."

Nick blinked. "Not to my knowledge. She only ever said that 'something happened' and you were separated."

"She kissed me," Rumple began. "She learned of my curse, and thought I would want it broken. True Love's Kiss and all that. When it began to work, I kicked her out. Abandoned her. Screamed at her and told her to leave. I refused to believe that anyone as wonderful as her could ever love someone like me." His eyes filled with tears. "And I was wrong. She

did _love me. But I can't have her anymore. She's gone, and she won't be coming back. And that's why I brought you here." Rumple stood and walked over to his wheel and picked up a gold thread. He wound it around his finger then pulled it off and returned to Rush._

"She is in love with you. I can see it. And you love her." He held out his hand, and Nick saw a gold band lying in Rumplestiltskin's palm. "If you don't tell her how you feel, you will regret it."

"Is that a threat?" Nick asked. Rumplestiltskin shook his head. "It's the truth. Don't let her slip through your fingers like I did. I've lost my chance with her, but you still have time. Besides," he said, voice full of sorrow, "She deserves to be happy."

_He offered the ring to Nick, but he was hesitant to take it. "Isn't there a price if I take that ring?"_

"Not exactly." Said Rumple. "I'm offering the ring to you only if you swear that when you wake up, you'll find Belle and tell her how you feel."

Nick nodded in agreement and took the ring from Rumple. He slid it onto his pinky finger and then stood. "Why didn't you go to Belle? In a dream? I'm sure she'd want to see you."

"I already did."

Nick awoke with a start. Breathing heavily, he sat up and ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm down. Deciding that he needed to stop working so many consecutive hours, he went to stand, but froze when he noticed his hand.

There was a gold band resting there.

"It was real..." he said to himself, twisting the band on his finger. Suddenly overcome with bravery, he leapt out of bed and opened the door only to collide with Belle, who looked as wide-eyed and frazzled as he felt.

"Nick," she whispered, and before she could explain anything else, he pulled her to him, crushing her mouth with his. They stood there in the doorway, kissing for several long moments before they finally broke away and looked at each other, both out of breath.

"He talked to you too," She stated and Nick nodded breathlessly.

"He gave me this," Nick said, holding up his hand with the band on it. He let go of her long enough to slip the band off his finger and place it onto hers. "I think he wanted me to give it to you," he whispered.

"He wanted you to believe," she replied. He went to kiss her again, but she placed a finger over his lips. "We have a lot to discuss," she said seriously, and Nick agreed.

"Yes, we do. But, I made a deal, and I need to uphold my end." Belle went to ask what exactly his deal had been, but instead he kissed her deeply and whispered, "I love you, Belle."

She smiled at him, tears in her eyes. "I love you, too."

He had a lot to tell her. He would tell her everything Rumplestiltskin had said to him, and she would do the same. They would discuss Gloria and Amanda. They would talk about Rumplestiltskin. They would talk about their failures and hopes and dreams and expectations and how to make a life for themselves on Destiny. He would ask her to tell him all the stories from the Enchanted Forest again, and this time he would actually listen to her.

This time he would believe.

Author's Note:

Chapter 2 will be posted soon!

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or Stargate: Universe


	2. To be Brave

Chapter 2

To Be Brave

Belle stared at the screen, exhausted. She'd sent Nick to bed a couple hours ago, and now she was seriously considering doing the same. She was used to Nick's long and bizarre schedule; she'd been working with him for a couple months now, but even she had to admit that it was time for a break. She stretched in the chair, making a face as her bones cracked in various places. She let out a sign looked around the empty room.

It was a lonely feeling, being stranded on a ship in space with little to no possibility of ever making it back to Earth. She wondered how Nick carried on against such odds. She was used to being trapped in small places and found the spaciousness of the ship a comfort. She was free in ways that most of the others felt trapped, and she couldn't help but pity them. She was enjoying her first taste of freedom in years, and they were all at each other's throats because they felt trapped. She supposed it was all a matter of perspective.

Her eyes were growing heavier, and she knew she should go lie down in her quarters, but she'd told Nick she would work on this while he rested, and if there was one thing she had learned over the years, it was that you keep your word. That thought brought a slight pang to her chest, and she briefly thought back to the man who'd taught her that lesson. She missed him terribly, she always would, but her time on this ship had given her a second chance at life.

At love.

She froze at that thought, suddenly feeling more awake than before. It was amazing how she hadn't even realized she was feeling it until now. She'd been attracted to Nick from the beginning, but now they had an enjoyable companionship, and she cherished it greatly. She longed for something more, something more tangible, but the last time she'd acted out that notion, she'd been thrown in a dungeon. She doubted Nick would react the same way, even if he did remind her of her first (True) love, but they'd found something comfortable and safe, and although at times she wanted nothing more than to just grab the man and kiss him senseless, she just couldn't. That would be the brave thing, and she was no longer interested in being brave.

She typically ignored these thoughts; they often left her in a solemn mood, and she blamed her exhaustion for leading her down this path. She need sleep. Stifling a yawn, she leaned down over the console, using her arms as a pillow. She allowed her eyes to slip shut, but promised she wouldn't stay here long.

Just ten minutes to rest her eyes. That's all she needed.

_She was standing in an all too familiar place. She walked forward cautiously and ran her hand over the long table, grimacing slightly when she noticed the dust that now coated her fingers. She wiped the dust off on her pants and began to walk around. The curtains were still open, the tea set on the table - she noticed the mismatched cups, one gray and the other...the other the very cup she'd chipped on her first day. He still had it._

"It's all I have left." She whirled around to see Rumplestiltskin standing there, dressed in his usual attire. A sob escaped her and she ran to him, consequences be damned, and threw her arms around him.

"Rumple," she whispered desperately into the crook of his neck. "I'm sor-"

"Don't you even think of apologizing." He said, his tone harsh.

She pulled away and gave him a curious look. "But-"

"Belle." She'd never heard anyone sound so broken and so she pressed her lips together and waited for him to speak. He led her over to the spinning wheel and they sat down, he on the stool, and she on the side, similar to the way they had the night of The Kiss. He took her hand in his, stroking her knuckles with his thumb and sighed.

"I'm so sorry." 

_That was not what she had expected to hear, but she was glad all the same._

She smiled. "I forgive you."

His eyes met hers and she couldn't help but think for a moment that his eyes looked like-

"You're in love with him, aren't you?"

Belle blinked, startled out of her thoughts and looked at Rumplestiltskin confused. "What do you mean 'him'?"

"I've been looking for you for a long time, dearie," Rumple explained softly. "I finally found you, about a month ago, and I began to watch. I watched how you told those people on that strange ship about us, about this land. That one man, what's his name...Rush. You've been spending a lot of time with him lately."

"How do you know about Nick?" She asked, suddenly feeling ill. This was not supposed to happen. It was one thing to be in love with Nick while still holding love for Rumplestiltskin in the deepest and farthest parts of her heart, but to have to address those feelings with Rumplestiltskin? This was unbearable. How could she tell the man with whom she'd shared True Love's kiss that she was falling in love with someone else and that nothing would please her more than to have a relationship with another man- a man that wasn't him.

Rumple nodded over to the large mirror at the other end of the room. It was covered again, the cloth thrown haphazardly over it, and Belle fought back a cringe as she remembered the first - last - time he'd uncovered it.

"Mirrors can be used to communicate with others." He explained.

"And yet you haven't said a word to me? Despite the fact that you found me a month ago?" Belle accused, somewhat bitterly.

"I can't," Rumple whispered, squeezing her hand tighter. "I can communicate with others in this land, but not yours. The land you've found yourself in doesn't have magic, so I can only watch you, though it takes quite a lot of magic to do so."

"Oh," she breathed.

"It took even more magic to bring you here. I've been working on this spell for quite a while now."

"Am I really here? Or is this a dream?"

He smiled, apparently pleased by her curiosity. "Oh, it's a dream, all in your head, but that doesn't make it any less real."

"It's incredible."

"It is, but you aren't here to just marvel at my tricks. I brought you here for a reason," he whispered, and Belle grew worried.

"What is it?" She asked, leaning forward, closer to him.

"I wanted to tell you how sorry I am," he began. "I want you to know that I was a coward for pushing you away. I love you so much, Belle."

She lit up at those words. She opened her mouth to reply, but Rumple pressed his hand over her lips to stop her. "I think you should be with him."

"What?" She mumbled, her mouth still covered by his hand.

"I can't keep this up, Belle," he said, looking around him. "I'm being drained by the minute. Bringing you here took a lot of magic, but I wanted one last chance to fix things before I told you goodbye."

She didn't speak. She knew he didn't want her to, so she remained silent and waited for him to continue. "I've watched you this past month. You two behave just as you and I did. He cares for you. He's afraid of being hurt again and that's why he keeps his distance. That's why you keep yours. We no longer have a chance, Belle. But, I want you to be happy, so when you wake up, If he's what you want, then go to him and tell him how you feel. Do the brave thing, and let bravery follow."

"But what about you?" Belle asked gently. "I still care for you, no matter what my feelings for Nick may be."

"And I hope you always will. But, I can at least continue my search for my son, and know that I at least had the chance to tell you how much I love you, and ensure that you finally found the happiness you desperately deserve."

"He reminds me of you, sometimes." She admitted suddenly. "I think that's the reason I was drawn to him, at first."

"And now?" Rumple prompted and she met his eyes and let her tears fall. "And now I love him. Rum, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. He loves you as well. So when you wake up, go to him, all right dearie?" He wiped away her tears and she caught his hand on her cheek. "All right?"

She nodded and sniffled. "All right." She paused and then asked, "How do you know he loves me?" 

_Rumple smiled softly, "Trust me dearie. I know the look of a man in love and he has it." _

_She didn't want to discuss Nick with Rumplestiltskin, so she decided not to press for more. Instead, they sat there for some time, just looking at the other, treasuring the moment. "Since it's only a dream, I imagine I won't be able to break your curse if I kissed you?" He told her it was true and so she asked softly, "Can I kiss you before I wake? Just one more time?" _

_He leaned down to her and whispered a gentle, "I love you," before pressing his lips to hers._

Belle sat straight up and gasped. She looked around, blinking in confusion as she saw dark, cold metal, flashing lights and Nick's algorithms scattered on pieces of paper in front of her. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, and thought back to what had just occurred. It had been wonderful to see Rumplestiltskin again, to have the closure she hadn't realized she needed. It was okay. She could love another and it wouldn't be a betrayal to the first man who'd held her heart.

She knew had been a dream, and yet it hadn't been _just _a dream and that Rumple really had found a way to talk to her. She looked down at the console and smiled as she traced over Nick's writing with her fingers.

She would always love Rumplestiltskin, just as she imagined Rush would always love his wife and Amanda. They both had a lot of baggage, but they also had each other. He'd told her that Nick loved her. And she loved Nick. This could work.  
_  
_She jumped up from the seat and took off running down the passageways towards Nick's quarters.

She doubted he would believe her when she told him everything that had just happened, but that didn't matter. It was time to be brave.

_End _

Author's Note:

Special thanks to my awesome beta and friend Sirensong24 for looking over this!

I do not own Once Upon A Time or Stargate: Universe.

Hope you enjoyed!


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